"Oni-chan, oni-chan! Do you think that man will really help us?"

The cheerful voice of a young girl echoed into the empty space of an alley. Her lilac colored hair fluttered as she skipped while swinging her frail arms back and forth.

At first glance one would think that she was only four years old, but in reality, she had already turned six this year. Not having a stable source of food, and the lack of sleep had greatly affected her growth.

"I don't know, Lily. But I don't think he's a bad man."

The one who answered her was a young boy, the same age as her, but slightly taller. He had the same lilac colored hair that was long and unkempt. His arms and legs were littered with marks of bruises and scratches, while a distinct scar sported his left brow. He walked beside the young girl while carrying a piece of bread and two apples.

These children were Lily and Bran, twin orphans that lived in the slums.

Though the two were twins, they weren't identical. Lily took after their father while Bran took after their mother.

Their mother, Lydia, was commoner who worked as a maid for a low class nobleman in the capital. Blessed with stunningly good looks and a figure that wouldn't lose to anyone, she was a woman well sought after by men.

This, however, eventually led to her unfortunate experience. Her nobleman employer had set his eyes and forced himself on her, resulting to the twins.

Not wanting to have the scandal of him having illegitimate children with a commoner spread, the nobleman threatened Lydia and forced her to get rid of the children, to which she heavily refused.

On a stormy night, she found an opening and snuck out of the estate with the twins and ran away.

Being a commoner woman with two infants alone in the capital without any connections was extremely hard. She didn't want to sell her own body and dignity, so she had to work multiple jobs every day, barely being able to rest, while her kids were left in the care of the church of Vanos.

Despite being relatively poor, the life they lived was a happy one. With the twins being contented with being with their loving mother.

Unfortunately, her years of overworking finally caught up to her and accumulated to her untimely death, just as the twins celebrated their fifth birthday.

Ever since then, the two had to live alone and scavenge just to survive. They did try to find their father, but we're only turned away when they did.

Having no one else to turn to, Bran took it upon himself to take charge and find a way for the two of them to survive.

"Haah, I can't wait to get out of this place, I miss the warmth of our old home, oni-chan." Lily sighed as she walked onwards.

The place they had stayed at evicted them the moment their mother died, and the church that had helped them before was currently supporting the crusade the holy kingdom was launching against Wisteria, so they couldn't afford to help the twins as well. 

They had spent numerous nights in their current makeshift home in the slums, barely living off of scraps, while relying on each others body warmth to survive the cold nights.

"Don't worry, Lily. Tomorrow we'll be living in a new home. Just wait a little bit more." Bran assured his sister as he pat her head

"Oni-chan!"

Lily hurriedly ran towards her brother that got knocked down. She clung to him desperately as she cried.

In response, Brutus only laughed as he gobbled the bread.

"Ha! What are you gonna do about it huh?!" The large man further antagonized the two. "You stole this, so you have no right to be angry if I steal this as well! Haha!"

The young girl glared at Brutus with her puffy eyes. Having lost her temper, she desperately shouted at the man.

"We didn't steal that! We bought that!"

"Hoh? With the money you stole, no doubt?!"

"No! With the money Onii-san gave---"

"Lily!"

Before she could finish her sentence, her brother's loud shout cut her off. In response, Lily cupped her mouth and held her voice back.

Unfortunately, even though Brutus was slow witted, he quickly caught on to the words of the young girl.

"Hooooh? Money given to you, eh?" His disgusting yellow teeth peeked as he showed a malicious grin. "Say, you have more of that money, right?"

"Tsk."

[This is bad..]

Bran clicked his tongue as he glared at the man, while Lily turned pale after realizing what she had just done.

"Would you show me the money? Please? Hehe"

"N-no! It was given to us!"

"Ha?! You damned brat!"

Brutus moved to grab Lily, his huge dirty hands that had their fair share of blood and violence inched closer and closer to the young girl.

Seeing this, Bran quickly stood in front of her.

"Don't touch my sister! I'll give you the Money, just leave us alone!"  He yelled at the man in front of him as he quickly produced the handkerchief with the left over silver coin hidden inside.

Upon seeing the coin, Brutus's face twisted into a grin.

"Hoh! That's some amount right there! Where did you get that?!"

"..."

"Oy, if you don't tell me, I'll beat you up, you know?!"

"Tsk, an Onii-san gave it to us to buy some food."

At the threat of the man, Bran reluctantly gave the coin and the information he wanted.

Brutus took the coin and the handkerchief and calmly examined them. The embroidered dove over a rose caught his eyes.

"Hoooh! House Carmine! Tell me, who gave you this?!" He excitedly questioned Bran.

"..."

"So you won't tell me? Then-"

Brutus moved closer to Bran and punched him in the face. Blood burst from the broken nose of the young boy as he tumbled a few times.

"Gaah!"

"Oni-chan!!" Lily cried as she watched her brother fall down.

Brutus then moved towards the bloodied boy and took him by the neck. "Hey, girl! You see this? I'll break his neck if you don't tell me everything."

Hearing the threat of this brutish man, Lily bawled her eyes out as she spoke.

"Please don't!! I'll tell you everything just don't hurt Onii-chan!"

Brutus grinned as he laid the now heavily breathing boy on the ground. "Well, don't make me wait."

"D-don't, Lily! Just ru--- gaah!!"

Brutus cut Bran's voice as he placed his boot on the young boy's chest, slowly putting weight on it.

"Well?" Asked the man once more.

"I-it was given to us by a kind Onii-san! He helped us in the town square and told us to meet him there tomorrow, he.. he said that he will give us a job and a place to stay!"

"And? What did this.. Onii-san, looked like?" He asked as he put even more weight on his foot.

"Gaah!"

After hearing Lily's frantic response, Brutus lifted his foot off of the young boy.

"Onii-chaaan!" Cried Lily as she ran towards her bloodied brother.

Meanwhile, Brutus stood there while cupping his chin.

[Hmm.. I can use this]

[...]

[Wait..]

[Black hair?]

In all his years living in the capital, Brutus had only met one person with black hair. The young boy they had beat up years ago, right before his brother, Barko, bit the dust.

[If it's the Duke's guard then we don't stand a chance, but if it's just one man, then we can..] Brutus thought to himself.

He then faced the crying girl that was holding her brother in her arms.

"You, girl! Come here!"

He forcefully yanked the girl away from her brother.

"Ouch! That hurts!"

"D-don't touch Lily-- Gaaah!"

Bran tried to stop the man from taking Lily, but Brutus retaliated by stomping on his chest once more.

After dealing with the brother, Brutus turned his attention to the girl. He held both of her shoulders as she shook her.

"Listen here, and stop crying!!" He shouted at the sniffling, clearly in pain, girl.

"If you don't want your brother to die, then here's what you're gonna do." He told the young girl as she cried.

I felt her heart beat fast as she gave me directions while I moved through the confined space.

"It's here, Onii-san, just behind that corner."

Hearing the young girl confirm the location, I started lowering my speed as I came close to the said corner.

Upon turning there, what welcomed me was a wide space akin to a courtyard. In front of me, stood four men, each holding their very own makeshift weapons.

I turned to the young girl and asked, "what's the meaning of this?" To which she responded by sobbing while looking down, and answering "*hic* I'm sorry, Onii-san.. but *sob* he said he'll kill Onii-chan if I don't do what he says.. Onii-chan is the only one I have left.. I can't lose him *sob*"

[I knew something was not right] I thought to myself as I looked at the sobbing girl beside me.

[Well, I can't really fault her for that, now can I?]

I looked around the surroundings, quietly examining it. Four men blocked every entrance and exit in front of me while the young boy laid on a corner, tied up and gagged.

[I have to draw them in, away from the boy. There is also this girl to worry about. Haah how troublesome. Well.. at least we have an exit point if things get dicey]

Then, as if on que, two more guys appeared behind our backs. I turned around and instantly recognized the disgusting figures that were now in front of me.

These two large men that held actual swords were people I had a personal vendetta with.

"The Flays." I spoke in a low cold voice.

In response, one of the siblings grinned broadly as he shouldered his sword.

"You see?! I told you it was him! He's that black haired brat we beat up all those years ago!"

"We beat up a lot of people, you know? How do you expect me to remember every single one of them?!"

The two argued right in front of me without a care in the world. As if I didn't exist, just like that time.

I felt my heart beating faster. My whole body, trembling.

"Heh.. hehe.. hehehe--hahahha!"

My sudden outburst of laughter greatly surprised everyone present. Especially the two orphans. They looked at me with eyes of sympathy and regret, as if to say "sorry"

"Oy, I think he's lost his mind." One of the Flays said as he readied his weapon. His brother only scoffed as he stabbed his sword on the ground.

"Hmph, I think it's only natural, he did get betrayed by those two shits, what's more, he came face to face with the people who beat him to a pulp before. Look at him, his trembling!" He declared so as he pointed his sword at me.

Hearing this, the young girl sobbed even more as she continued mumbling words of apology.

[Haaaaah, how truly fortunate for me.] I thought to myself.

I looked fondly to the two. Back then they were so much bigger than me, more than three times my height, but now, we were almost the same height. One of them had also grown considerably fatter than he was before.

"You misunderstand, scum." I told them in a low cold voice as I grinned. "I was trembling, but not out of fear. I was trembling out of excitement!"

My sudden outburst startled the people present.

"You see, I had planned on disposing the two of you myself." I said to them as I showed a malicious grin. "But because of the young lady constantly pestering me, I had to push that plan, again and again. But now, hoho, now you're here, with me. Haah how lucky." I said as I looked at the scum in front of me.

Seeing me act like that, the two scums hurriedly readied their swords and shouted.

"Oy, the shit's lost his mind, you lot! Kill him already!"

In response to the order, the four men behind me started to move towards us, cornering us in a cone shape while opening an exit.

I grinned as I grabbed the girl beside me and rushed to close the distance between me and the man closest to the boy.

Not anticipating me charging at him, the man was a second too late in his response.

I quickly and forcefully punched his throat that was wide open as he raised his club, breaking his windpipe.

"Guaaaah!!"

The dent I made on the man's throat was quite visible as he backed up waving his arms around, gasping for air.

"?!!"

Still being unable to process what had just transpired, the three other man looked at their colleague in bewilderment as he collapsed on the ground.

Taking this opportunity, I quickly dashed towards the boy and untied him.

"Puaah! Onii-san! I'm so sor---"

"Save it for later" I told him as I handed him a knife. "Right now focus on keeping your sister safe. Run towards the main road and wait for me there. But don't call for any guards, do you understand?"

"B-but!--"

"Just do as I say!" I ordered him with a commanding attitude, to which he responded by nodding his head vigorously.

"Ah, yy-yes! I understand Onii-san. Lily! Come!" Said the boy as he reached for the hand of the girl,

"Ahh, but Onii-chan--"

"Just do as Onii-san says! Let's trust him."

"Ah.. O-okay."

The two then quickly ran towards the exit that had just opened up with the death of the man.

"Please be safe! Onii-san!"

"We're sorry! Please be safe!"

With that, the two children vanished into the alley.

"O-oy!! What the fuck are you guys doing!! Quickly surround him before he escapes!!"

The frantic order of one the Flays reverberated throughout the surroundings.

Having finished processesing what had just happened, the men then quickly sealed off the exit. The five of them surrounded me from every direction.

"Heh" I quietly chuckled. "You're mistaken once again, scum. I never planned on escaping, I just didn't want the children to see what I'm going to do to you trash."

"Haah?! This fucking bastard is looking down on us?!"

"Kill him! Kill him now!!"

[Haah, how fun.]

"Let's start." I coldly declare as the five men beared down on me, weapons ready.